JP7108745B1 - Electronics - Google Patents

Abstract

Kind Code: A1 To provide an electronic device capable of realizing a long life by suppressing the bending of a display housing. A body housing (16) and a display housing (14) of an electronic device (10) are rotatably connected by hinges (12) at connecting edges (14a, 16a). The display housing 14 includes a display 18, a rear cover 22 covering the rear surface of the display 18, and a connecting edge 14a, which is fixed to the rear cover 22 together with a display-side connecting plate 12b of the hinge 12 at the base end, and is attached to the edge wall 38b. and a pair of reinforcing plates 42 extending along and having a front surface 42a secured to the display 18 and a rear surface 42b secured to the back cover 22. As shown in FIG. The rear cover 22 has a main plate 36 having a curved shape that protrudes toward the rear, and an injection-molded resin frame 38 provided around the main plate 36 and having a flat surface 39 formed thereon. is fixed to [Selection drawing] Fig. 6

Description

The present invention relates to an electronic device in which a main housing and a display housing are rotatably connected by hinges at respective connecting edges.

In a general notebook PC, a main body housing and a display housing are rotatably connected by hinges at each connecting edge (see Patent Document 1). The display housing has a display and a rear cover covering the rear surface of the display. When rotating the display housing with respect to the main housing, the upper end of the display housing is often manually moved.

Japanese Patent No. 6843206

The strength of the display housing is ensured by the back cover, and the back cover is also being made thinner based on the demand for thinner electronic devices. In addition, the ratio of the width to the height of the display used to be 16:9 in the past, but recently the ratio is increasing to 16:10, and the height tends to be longer. Therefore, when the display housing is rotated with respect to the main body housing, the back cover tends to bend, resulting in poor usability. In addition, the bent and curved rear cover may come into contact with a portion of the rear surface of the display, which may apply stress to the display.

When rotating the display housing with respect to the main body housing, there is a tendency for bending stress to concentrate around the portion where the display housing is attached to the hinge. Since a particularly large rear cover generates a large amount of stress, if the rear cover is thinned, it becomes difficult to ensure the strength of this portion, and there is a concern that the life of the rear cover may be shortened.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device capable of suppressing bending of a display housing and realizing a long life.

In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention is an electronic device in which a main housing and a display housing are rotatably connected by hinges at respective connecting edges. The display housing includes a display whose display surface faces forward, a rear cover that covers the rear surface of the display, and a base end portion of which is fixed to the rear cover together with the connection plate of the hinge by the connection edge. and a pair of reinforcing plates extending along left and right side edges of the display housing, the front surface of which is fixed to the display and the rear surface of which is fixed to the rear cover.

According to such an electronic device, since the back cover, the reinforcing plate and the display are integrally fixed to the display housing, these three members cooperatively form a strength member and are sufficiently strong. It is possible to achieve a long life by suppressing the bending of the display housing.

The back cover covers substantially the entire rear surface of the display, and includes a main plate having a curved shape that protrudes toward the rear, and an injection-molded resin frame made of a material different from that of the main plate and provided around the main plate. and , wherein a flat surface parallel to the rear surface of the display is formed along the side edge of the injection-molded resin frame, and the reinforcing plate may be fixed to the flat surface.

Thus, it is preferable to use two different materials for the back cover depending on the location in consideration of cost, shape, moldability, and the like. In addition, by forming the main plate into a curved shape that protrudes toward the rear, a component such as a display controller can be arranged between the main plate and the display. Furthermore, by selectively using the main plate and the injection-molded resin frame, even if the main plate has a curved shape, it becomes easy to form a flat surface on the injection-molded resin frame, which is suitable for fixing the reinforcing plate. .

The reinforcing plate may extend to an upper edge of the back cover opposite to the connecting edge. This improves the strength of the display housing and makes it more difficult to bend.

At the corner where the side edge and the upper edge of the rear cover intersect, a recess opening forward and in a direction toward the connecting edge is formed. good. As a result, the tip of the reinforcing plate is easily and accurately positioned in the left-right direction and stabilized.

The reinforcing plate may have a shape that tapers toward the tip side. As a result, stress is applied to the reinforcing plate substantially evenly, so that any part of the reinforcing plate does not have insufficient strength or excessive strength.

The connecting plate is positioned inwardly away from the side edge of the display housing, and the reinforcing plate includes an extending portion extending along the side edge and a base end portion of the extending portion. and a proximal end projecting portion projecting inwardly from and fixed to the connecting plate. When the connecting plate is located inwardly away from the side edge, the edge of the display housing can be thinned. Further, the reinforcing plate is fixed to the connecting plate at the protruding portion at the proximal end, and the other extending portions can be provided only at positions closer to the outside than the connecting plate, thereby reducing the weight and improving the layout. It does not interfere with the placement of a display controller or the like.

The rear cover has edge walls that stand forward along the side edges, and the reinforcing plate has a bent portion that is bent forward by 90 degrees and extends in contact with the edge walls. may have Having the bent portion makes the reinforcing plate more difficult to bend.

The edge wall may have an engagement projection that engages with an engagement groove formed in the front edge of the bent portion. As a result, the reinforcing plate is easily and accurately positioned and stabilized in the longitudinal direction.

According to the above aspect of the present invention, since the display housing has the back cover, the reinforcing plate and the display fixed together, these three members cooperate to form a strength member, which is sufficient. It is possible to achieve a long life by suppressing the bending of the display housing.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electronic device according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view of the electronic device with the display housing closed. FIG. 3 is a front view of the electronic device with the display housing closed. FIG. 4 is a front view of the display housing. FIG. 5 is a front view of the display housing with the display, front bezel, and display controller removed. FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged exploded perspective view of the display housing. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 4. FIG. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a reinforcing plate. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an electronic device according to a comparative example. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the electronic device. FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional perspective view of the left edge portion of the display housing. FIG. 12 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the upper left corner of the display housing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Embodiments of an electronic device according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited by this embodiment.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electronic device 10 according to one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the display housing 14 is opened from the main body housing 16 by the hinge 12 .

As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic device 10 rotates a connecting edge 14a, which is the lower end of the display housing 14, and a connecting edge 16a, which is the rear end of the main body housing 16, by a pair of left and right hinges 12, 12. It is a possible connected configuration. The body housing 16 is a thin rectangular box. A keyboard 26 and a touch pad 28 are provided on the upper surface of the main body housing 16 . A lower surface of the main housing 16 is covered with a lower surface cover 30 .

Hereinafter, in the description of the display housing 14 and its components, the side facing the connecting edge 14a is the bottom side, the opposite side is the top side, the side facing the display surface of the display 18 is the front side, and the opposite side is the rear side. side. Regarding the reinforcing plate 42, which will be described later, the lower side is the proximal end and the upper side is the distal end. Further, regarding the structure of the left end portion of the display housing 14 and its constituent elements, the left side is the outside and the right side is the inside. These directions are appropriately indicated by arrows in each figure.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the electronic device 10 with the display housing 14 closed. FIG. 3 is a front view of the electronic device with the display housing 14 closed. FIG. 4 is a front view of the display housing 14. FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the display housing 14 is a thin rectangular box. A display 18 is provided on the front surface of the display housing 14 . The display 18 is, for example, a touch panel type liquid crystal display. The display housing 14 is electrically connected to the main body housing 16 by cables passing through the hinges 12 .

The display housing 14 further includes a front frame 20 surrounding the front side of the display 18, a rear cover 22 covering the rear surface of the display 18 (the surface opposite to the display surface), and a space between the display 18 and the rear cover 22. and a display controller 24 for controlling the display 18 .

Display controller 24 is a component that controls at least a portion of display 18 . The display controller 24 is, for example, a timing controller for displaying on the display 18 . A graphics function unit, a display memory, and the like required for display control may be provided in the main board of the main body housing 16 or may be provided in the display controller 24 . If display 18 is touch panel, display controller 24 may include some or all of the touch control functionality. The display controller 24 is thin and long in the horizontal direction.

The rear cover 22 has a slightly convex curved shape toward the rear in order to arrange the display controller 24 between the display 18 and the display 18 . That is, in a side view (see FIG. 2), the rear cover 22 has the highest height at the top 22a where the display controller 24 is housed, and has an inclined surface 22b that decreases toward the front. Further, an inclined surface 22c that becomes lower toward the rear is formed. When viewed from the front (see FIG. 3), the top portion 22a of the back cover 22 is the highest and flat, forming an inclined surface 22e that is lowered in the left-right direction. The display controller 24 is a moderately thin component, and each sloped surface 22b-22e is gently sloped. Each inclined surface 22b-22e forms a continuous curved surface. In this manner, the back cover 22 has a substantially dome shape with the top portion 22a being the highest.

FIG. 5 is a front view of display enclosure 14 with display 18, front frame 20, and display controller 24 removed. FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged exploded perspective view of the display housing 14. As shown in FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 to 8 show the configuration or components of the left side of the display housing 14, but the right side is bilaterally symmetrical, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The hinge 12 has a shaft 12a, a display side connecting plate (connecting plate) 12b, and a main body side connecting plate 12c. The body-side connecting plate 12c is provided on the left side in FIG. 6, that is, on the outer side. The display-side connecting plate 12b is provided on the right side in FIG. 6, that is, on the inner side. In other words, the display-side connecting plate 12b is located inwardly avoiding the side edge 14b of the display housing 14. As shown in FIG. The body-side connecting plate 12 c is connected to a connecting seat (not shown) in the body casing 16 . The display-side connecting plate 12b is connected by three screws 34 to a connecting seat 32 provided on the connecting edge 14a of the rear cover 22. As shown in FIG. Three screw holes 32a of the connecting seat 32 corresponding to the screws 34 are arranged in the horizontal direction. The connecting seat 32 is provided at a position avoiding the left end so as to match the position of the display-side connecting plate 12b. The connecting seat 32 is provided at a position extremely close to the connecting edge 14a as the front frame 20 is thinned.

As described above, the left end portion of the display housing 14 can be made thinner because the connecting seat 32 and the display-side connecting plate 12b are not provided. The hinge 12 is provided with a friction mechanism that allows the main body housing 16 and the display housing 14 to be maintained at an arbitrary angle. In this embodiment, the hinge 12 is of a uniaxial type, but may be of a biaxial type. The hinge 12 may rotatably connect the main housing 16 and the display housing 14 .

The rear cover 22 has a main plate 36 covering substantially the entire rear surface of the display 18 and an injection-molded resin frame 38 provided around the main plate 36 . As described above, the rear cover 22 has a curved shape, and this curved shape is mainly the portion of the main plate 36 . The main plate 36 is made of CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics), for example. The injection-molded resin frame 38 is made of, for example, GFRP (Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastics). The injection-molded resin frame 38 is integrated with the main plate 36 by insert molding.

The main plate 36 has a large area and a curved shape, but compared to the injection-molded resin frame 38, it has a thin plate-like simple shape. Although the CFRP main plate 36 is thin, it is stronger than the GFRP injection-molded resin frame 38 . The injection-molded resin frame 38 has the connecting seat 32, a flat surface 39, an engaging projection 38bb, and a recess 38bc, which will be described later. GFRP, which has a complicated shape and is highly moldable, is used. In this way, the rear cover 22 is made of two different materials depending on the location in consideration of cost, shape, moldability, and the like. As for the material of the injection-molded resin frame 38 , it is preferable to use a material that is more moldable than the material of the main plate 36 . The material of the main plate 36 should preferably be stronger than the material of the injection-molded resin frame 38 . A metal plate may be used for the main plate 36 .

The injection-molded resin frame 38 includes a frame portion 38a (see FIG. 7) integrally fixed to the edge of the main plate 36 by injection molding, and an outer edge of the frame portion 38a extending forward. and an edge wall 38b provided. A flat surface 39 is formed on the front side of the frame portion 38a.

A flat surface 39 extends along side edge 14b, is parallel to the rear surface of display 18, and has a moderate width. Since the injection-molded resin frame 38 is made of GFRP and has excellent moldability, the flat surface 39 can be accurately and flatly molded. In this embodiment, the first flat surface 39a and the second flat surface 39a are slightly different in height according to the thickness of the adhesive tape 46 and the amount of protrusion of the throttle groove 54a, which will be described later. It is divided into two flat surfaces 39b. If it is not necessary to consider the thickness of the adhesive tape 46 or the throttle groove 54a due to design conditions, the flat surface 39 may be formed as a single surface.

The front surface 38ba of the edge wall 38b is also flat, and the front frame 20 is fixed to the front surface 38ba with an adhesive tape 40. As shown in FIG. The front frame 20 is fixed with an adhesive tape 40 from the front surface 38ba to the edge of the display 18. As shown in FIG. A plurality of engaging projections 38bb projecting slightly inward from the front end of the edge wall 38b are provided. A corner 14d where the side edge 14b and the upper edge 14c of the rear cover 22 intersect is formed with a recess 38bc (see FIG. 12) that opens downward and forward.

The display housing 14 is provided with a pair of reinforcing plates 42 extending along the side edges 14b. The front surface 42a of the reinforcing plate 42 is fixed to the rear surface of the display 18 with adhesive tape 44 at the left and right ends of the display housing 14, and the rear surface 42b is fixed to the flat surface 39 of the injection-molded resin frame 38 of the rear cover 22 with adhesive tape 46. be. The reinforcing plate 42 is, for example, a metal plate or a carbon plate and has moderate strength. The reinforcing plate 42 is moderately thin and lightweight.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the reinforcing plate 42. FIG. The reinforcing plate 42 includes an extension portion 48 that extends along the side edge 14b and the edge wall 38b to the upper edge 14c (see FIG. 1), and a base end portion of the extension portion 48 that protrudes inward to connect to the display side. Both the plate 12b and the connecting seat 32 have a base end projecting portion 50 which is fastened together with three screws 34. As shown in FIG. The upper edge 14c is the edge opposite to the connecting edge 14a. If the reinforcing plate 42 extends to the upper edge 14c, it has a good effect of reinforcing the display housing 14 so that it does not bend. It may have a length that extends halfway through the side edge 14b.

The base end projecting portion 50 is fastened together while being sandwiched between the display-side connecting plate 12b and the connecting seat 32. As shown in FIG. The base end projecting portion 50 protrudes inward, but the extending portion 48 is provided only at a position closer to the outside than the display-side connecting plate 12b and the connecting seat 32, thereby reducing the weight and This does not hinder the placement of the display controller 24 and the like on the layout.

The extending portion 48 extends over the entire length of the side edge 38b of the display housing 14, and has a shape that is slightly thicker on the base end side and tapered toward the tip end side. The reinforcing plate 42 has, at its outer end, a bent portion 52 that bends forward by 90 degrees and extends along the side edge 14b, and is less likely to bend. The bent portion 52 extends while contacting the edge wall 38b and is stable. A plurality of shallow engagement grooves 52a are formed in the front edge of the bent portion 52. As shown in FIG.

The extending portion 48 is formed with three throttle grooves 54a, 54b, 54c that slightly protrude rearward. Among the throttle grooves 54a to 54c, the throttle groove 54a is arranged on the outermost side, and the throttle groove 54c is arranged on the innermost side. The throttle grooves 54a to 54c extend parallel to each other from the vicinity of the base end of the extending portion 48 toward the tip. Since the aperture grooves 54a to 54c protrude rearward, they do not come into contact with the display 18. As shown in FIG.

The outer aperture groove 54a extends over substantially the entire length of the display housing 14 in the vertical direction. Since the extending portion 48 is tapered toward the tip, the length of the throttle groove 54b is about half the length of the throttle groove 54a, and the length of the throttle groove 54c is about half that of the length of the throttle groove 54c. length is even shorter. An appropriate space is secured between the throttle grooves 54a and 54b.

Between the throttle grooves 54a and 54b, an adhesive tape 44 is applied to the front surface 42a to be fixed to the display 18, and an adhesive tape 46 is applied to the rear surface 42b to be fixed to the flat surface 39. Adhesive tapes 44 and 46 are applied over substantially the entire length of the reinforcing plate 42 in the vertical direction to fix the reinforcing plate 42 to the display 18 and the back cover 22 .

FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an electronic device 500 according to a comparative example. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the electronic device 10. FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, when rotating the display housing 14 with respect to the main body housing 16, the user often operates the upper end portion with the hand H. As shown in FIGS. Further, since the hinge 12 has a friction mechanism, it is fixed to some extent. When the ratio of the display 18 is 16:10, the vertical dimension of the display housing 14 is longer than that of the 16:9 specification, and the back cover 22 tends to be thinner.

In this case, as in the electronic device 500 according to the comparative example of FIG. 12 is only the back cover 22, which is insufficient in strength and tends to bend. Also, the flexed back cover 22 may press against a portion of the rear surface of the display 18 to stress the display 18 .

When the upper end portion of the display housing 14 is operated with the hand H, the stress to bend the display housing 14 is approximately proportional to the distance from the hand H which is the point of action. Therefore, the force that bends the back cover 22 generates concentrated stress in the vicinity P of the connection portion P of the hinge 12 with the display-side connecting plate 12b, and there is concern that the life of this portion will be shortened. Further, in this case, the display housing 14 tends to shake due to insufficient strength, and the visibility of the display 18 is deteriorated.

On the other hand, in the electronic device 10 according to the present embodiment shown in FIG. , and these three members cooperate to form a strength member, so that sufficient strength is obtained and bending hardly occurs. In particular, since the reinforcing plate 42 has the bent portion 52 and the throttle grooves 54a to 54c, it has high strength and is hard to bend. In this case, the display housing 14 has an appropriate strength and does not easily shake, so that the visibility of the display 18 is excellent and high usability can be obtained.

Since the reinforcing plate 42 is fixed to the rear surface of the display 18 over the entire length in the vertical direction without a gap and does not apply biased pressure, it does not apply stress to the display 18 . In the example of FIG. 9, concentrated stress is particularly generated in the vicinity of the connecting portion P of the display-side connecting plate 12b, whereas in the electronic device 10 of FIG. Since they are fastened together with the base end protrusion 50, the force generated based on the friction mechanism of the hinge 12 is dispersed between the rear cover 22 and the reinforcing plate 42, and excessive stress concentration occurs in either one. long life. The stress to bend the display 18 is approximately proportional to the distance from the hand H, but since the reinforcing plate 42 is tapered toward the tip side, the stress is applied approximately uniformly, and the strength is insufficient at any point. and does not become excessive strength. In this manner, the electronic device 10 can suppress the bending of the display housing 14 and realize a long life.

FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional perspective view of the left edge portion of the display housing 14. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 shown below, the display 18 and the front frame 20 are removed. As shown in FIG. 11, an engaging projection 38bb projecting inward at the front end of the edge wall 38b is engaged with an engaging groove 52a formed in the front edge of the bent portion 52. As shown in FIG. A plurality of engaging portions formed by combining the engaging protrusions 38bb and the engaging grooves 52a are provided at appropriate intervals along the edge wall 38b of the display housing 14 (see FIG. 6). As a result, the reinforcing plate 42 is easily and accurately positioned and stabilized in the front-rear direction.

12 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the upper left corner of the display housing 14. FIG. As shown in FIG. 12, the tip of the reinforcing plate 42 is fitted into the recess 38bc of the corner 14d with almost no clearance. As a result, the tip of the reinforcing plate 42 is easily and accurately positioned and stabilized in the left-right direction.

It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be freely modified without departing from the gist of the present invention.

10 Electronic device 12 Hinge 12a Shaft 12b Display side connecting plate (connecting plate)
14 display housings 14a, 16a connecting edge 14b side edge 14c upper edge 16 body housing 18 display 20 front frame 22 rear cover 24 display controller 32 connecting seat 36 main plate 38 injection molded resin frame 38a frame body portion 38b edge wall 38bb engagement Coupling projection 38bc Recess 39 Flat surface 42 Reinforcement plate 42a Front surface 42b Rear surface 48 Extension 50 Base end projection 52 Bent portion 52a Engagement grooves 54a, 54b, 54c Restriction groove

Claims (7)

An electronic device in which a main housing and a display housing are rotatably connected by hinges at respective connecting edges,
The display housing is
a display whose display surface faces forward;
a rear cover covering the rear surface of the display;
The base end is fixed to the back cover together with the connecting plate of the hinge at the connection edge, and extends along the left and right side edges of the display housing, the front surface is fixed to the display, and the rear surface is the display. a pair of reinforcing plates fixed to the back cover;
has
The back cover is
a main plate that covers substantially the entire rear surface of the display and has a curved shape that protrudes toward the rear;
an injection-molded resin frame made of a material different from that of the main plate and provided around the main plate;
has
A flat surface parallel to the rear surface of the display is formed along the side edge of the injection-molded resin frame,
An electronic device , wherein the reinforcing plate is fixed to the flat surface . In the electronic device according to claim 1 ,
The electronic device, wherein the reinforcing plate extends to an upper edge of the rear cover opposite to the connecting edge. In the electronic device according to claim 2 ,
A recess opening forward and in a direction toward the connecting edge is formed at a corner where the side edge and the upper edge of the rear cover intersect, and the tip of the reinforcing plate is fitted into the recess. An electronic device characterized by: In the electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing plate has a shape that tapers toward the tip side. In the electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
the connecting plate is located inwardly away from the side edge of the display housing;
The reinforcing plate is
an extension extending along the side edge;
a proximal projection portion that projects inward from the proximal end portion of the extension portion and is fixed to the connecting plate;
An electronic device comprising: In the electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
The back cover has an edge wall standing forward along the side edge,
The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing plate has a bent portion that is bent forward by 90 degrees and extends in contact with the edge wall. An electronic device in which a main housing and a display housing are rotatably connected by hinges at respective connecting edges,
The display housing is
a display whose display surface faces forward;
a rear cover covering the rear surface of the display;
The base end is fixed to the back cover together with the connecting plate of the hinge at the connection edge, and extends along the left and right side edges of the display housing, the front surface is fixed to the display, and the rear surface is the display. a pair of reinforcing plates fixed to the back cover;
has
The back cover has an edge wall standing forward along the side edge,
The reinforcing plate has a bent portion that is bent forward by 90 degrees and extends in contact with the edge wall,
The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the edge wall has an engaging projection that engages with an engaging groove formed in a front edge of the bent portion.

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